Chicken With Ouzo

This recipe comes courtesy of one this site’s avid readers, Dirk. Dirk resides in Belgium but he’s a frequent visitor to Greece and in particular Crete. Dirk resides in Belgium but when it comes to vacations…he looks to Greece. He’s tried many of the dishes on this blog and now it’s my time to thank him with sharing a recipe he sent last year.

I’ve seen many takes of this dish around Greece but Dirk was served chicken with Ouzo at a taverna in Rethymno, Crete, a small city with an old Venetian harbour that’s located about 90 minutes west of the Cretan capital Heraklion. The original dish had an Ouzo-cream sauce which you can adapt the recipe to but on the day I made this dish I opted for a non-cream sauce and instead serve the chicken in Ouzo sauce with some rice and strained Greek yogurt.

The yogurt can be swirled into the sauce or served on a piece of chicken or swirl it in with some rice…another fave combo of Greeks. Have you ever topped rice with yogurt? Here’s your chance!

Chicken With Ouzo (Κοτόπουλο με Ούζο)

(serves 4)

1/4 cup olive oil

4 breast of skinless chicken breasts or 6 thighs, boned and diced

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

all-purpose flour for dredging

3 large sized tomatoes, diced

1 zucchini, finely diced

1 large red onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 cup of Oyster mushrooms (or whatever fresh mushroom is available)

1 tsp. all-purpose flour

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 shot of Ouzo

1 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

pinch of Boukovo (chilli flakes)

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

Rinse the chicken well and pat-dry, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Place a skillet on your stovetop over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in all-purpose flour and place in the skillet when oil is hot then brown on all sides and remove with a slotted spoon, reserve.

In the same pan, add mushrooms and zucchini and sauté until just browned for about 2-3 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Now add the onions, garlic, peppers, and add a pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper and stir in. Sweat the vegetables for 5-6 minutes then add 1 tsp. of flour and stir for 30 seconds then add the wine, stock, Ouzo and bring up to a boil. Now add the chicken back in the skillet, the tomatoes and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.

Ad the reserved mushrooms and zucchini and stir in to heat through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add the chilli flakes and dried Greek oregano. Serve with rice and a dollop or two of strained Greek yogurt.

As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway“